The start of the year might have been a bit slow in Hungary as well, but things have shifted towards a more positive outlook for the legal industry in the country, according to Lakatos, Koves and Partners Managing Partner Peter Lakatos.

Romania's markets faced a bit of a slow start to the year but have since overcome it and are back on the right track, according to MPR Partners Partner Daniel Alexie.

Political turmoil and contentious policy changes could cloud the investment climate in Montenegro, but the economy is still performing well – primarily driven by the IT, energy, and tourism sectors – according to Pejovic Legal Partner Milena Roncevic Pejovic.

Advancing renewable energy initiatives, establishing remote companies, and adopting criminal justice reform are currently the key priorities on the legal agenda in Greece, according to Politis & Partners Partner Nikolaos Anastopoulos.

Remote work has become widespread in Serbia – and dominant in industries like IT – while the country is facing both layoffs and a shortage of workers, depending on the sector, according to NKO Partners Partner Danica Milic.

Despite the challenging global landscape, Romania’s banking sector continues to show resilience – with M&A activity in line with the second half of 2022 – according to Filip & Company Partner Alexandra Manciulea.

North Macedonia introduces a new minimum wage and price-freezing measures, as the country continues to grapple with workforce shortages, including in the legal profession, according to Bachovski Sinkoli Attorneys Managing Partner Robert Bachovski Sinkoli.

As Ukraine experiences a period of relative tranquility following a tumultuous year, its M&A sector has witnessed surprising developments, and ongoing discussions about war insurance are also showing promise, according to Asters Co-Managing Partner Oleksiy Didkovskiy.

The primary drivers of the Albanian economy are centered around two main sectors – real estate and energy – with increasing shortages of qualified workers emerging as a key hurdle, according to Hoxha, Memi & Hoxha Partner Andi Memi.

Despite the war still impacting the Hungarian market, there are also opportunities in the green economy and energy, as well as the Hungarian start-up scene, according to Bird & Bird Head of Energy & Utilities and Competition & EU Daniel Aranyi.

Croatia's labor market is experiencing an intense early 2023, as a new set of various amendments – including regulations prohibiting retail work on Sundays and public holidays – is about to take effect, according to Babic & Partners Partner Marija Gregoric.

As the Albanian government seeks to utilize the energy crisis as a catalyst for encouraging energy investments and production, significant changes are expected in the country's overall legislation – in light of the negotiation process – to comply with EU standards, according to Deloitte Legal Local Legal Partner Sabina Lalaj.

The major discussion points in Turkey have been drastically different – before and after the earthquake – with the upcoming elections gaining new importance, according to KP Law Managing Partner Onur Kucuk.

Polish lawyers are actively discussing two legislative acts – one regulating family foundations and the other focused on remote work – set to impact their practices, according to KWKR Konieczny Wierzbicki & Partners Managing Partner Michal Konieczny.

The real estate market in Lithuania is in flux, facing significant challenges and, at the same time, providing numerous opportunities to explore, according to Fort Legal Partner Ruta Radzeviciute-Meizeraite.

The Hungarian government is actively shaping the market and there are both positive and negative effects on many levels, according to Wolf Theiss Managing Partner Zoltan Faludi.

Finding its balance after a general election, Estonia is looking at a year of potential IT sector labor force shake-ups, a likely uptick of reorganization and bankruptcy procedures, as well as a potential real estate sector slowdown, according to Magnusson Estonia Managing Partner Jaanus Magi.

A massive government bond program, an exciting local start-up exit to Google, and several recent and upcoming legislative updates are high on Croatian lawyers' agendas, according to Vukmir & Associates Managing Partner Tomislav Pedisic.